Restricted MC (The Nighthawks MC Book 14)

by Bella Knight

  Anything that broken in the house went into the repair box. Small things went into a shoe box, the larger into a crate where the shoe box was housed. The adults checked it about three times a week. Sondra turned, whirled, and ran out the bedroom door. The women let her go. Wraith cut her eyes to Dina, and Sigrun gave a tiny nod and went after the little girl on a necklace hunt.

  Wraith climbed up the stairs to the pod. “You did the right thing, Dina, but you should have told her where it was. Sondra panicked when she couldn’t find her mother’s things.”

  “Sorry,” said Dina.

  “Apologize to Sondra, not me. But now, we sleep for a few minutes before school.”

  Dina nodded. “Can you fit in the pod?”

  “I can,” said Wraith. “I’ll make myself really small.” Dina laughed. Wraith crawled in with Dina, and rubbed her back. Soon, both were back asleep.

  Sigrun watched Sondra take out the shoe box, and saw the relief on her face when she found her necklace. A tear went down her face.

  Sigrun knelt beside her. “One,” she said. “You started yelling, at five thirty in the morning I might add, without knowing any of the story. Two, things are not people. You have every memory you’ve ever had with your mom. We’ll make a book for you; record you talking about your mom. Remember how we scanned all the pictures we brought with us, made a memory book for you?” Sondra clutched the necklace in her hands, and nodded. “Add to it, put every memory in it. Scan this, too. We can put a 3D model of it into the eBook.” Sondra nodded again. Sigrun hugged her.

  “I wanted it,” she said.

  “You may have wanted it, but you scared us. It’s not even light yet. What were you doing up?”

  “I had a dream, about my mom.” Sigrun held the little girl while she cried.

  Sigrun helped Sondra with her memory book, and went to dress for the day. She put on her clothes, brushed the non-braided part of her hair, and put on some makeup, a light base foundation, lip gloss, and mascara. She got Wraith and Dina up. Wraith stumbled back to their room to dress, and Dina got dressed for school. Sigrun found Warren and Saber crammed into Warren’s pod. Sigrun hauled Warren out, leaving Saber and the baseball bat in the bed. She had Warren dress quietly for school, letting Saber stay asleep, then they both went to the kitchen. The girls fed Rimmel, Asia, and Roxie (the puff-of-gray-smoke) cat.

  Wraith stumbled into the kitchen, dressed for work. Dina apologized to her sister for putting her necklace in the box without telling her. A much-calmer Sondra apologized for yelling at Dina. At Sigrun’s narrowed eyes, she also apologized for waking everyone up. Sigrun nodded, and sent Sondra to get ready for school. Everyone forgave her; who was awake. Sigrun made toad in the hole, a piece of cinnamon toast with a hole in the middle cut out with a glass, and an egg cooked in the hole, and a side of sausage, while Wraith started talking into her ear mic. Sigrun poured orange juice, and everyone sat down to eat.

  The kids put away the butter and took their dishes to the sink. Wraith cleaned up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, still talking into her mic. Sigrun checked everyone’s backpack, and stood out on the porch in the sunshine with them and with Asia, just as Henry’s van drove up. Sigrun got them in the van, and made sure their seatbelts were plugged in.

  She went around to the driver’s side window, and spoke to Henry. “Got Wraith’s message,” he said. “I’ll talk to Sondra; do a sing and a project on her mother.”

  “Good,” said Sigrun. “Thank you.” She kissed Henry’s cheek, and the van drove off.

  Sigrun went back in to get the dog leashes. Wraith was in full work mode, but let Sigrun kiss her cheek on the way out to her Harley. Sigrun hooked the leashes to their harnesses, and took Rimmel and Asia for a walk. She took them to the dog park, let them run, did some training with a toy with both of them, whistled them back, and walked them home. She went to the kitchen and took out her box lunch and several waters, grabbed her pack with her painting supplies and smock, the second pack with her schoolwork, and shouldered them both. She put one pack in each saddlebag, then she was off.

  She hit up the printing lab first. They boxed up an arm for a little girl in Malawi, and two blade legs for a little boy who had stepped on a land mine in Somalia. Students and volunteers were double-checking every printer, checking if anything needed to be refilled. She found four excited students unboxing two more printers, with boxes of replacement cartridges all around them. She helped set up the table, checked the electrical outlet, and helped them set it up and load it.

  Kathy Quallan ran over, the medical student. “Got the programming for the two girls in Mozambique. I really hate land mines.”

  “With you, woman,” said Sigrun. She gave Kathy a hug. “What’s all this?”

  “This donor person, Akim, that’s a mayor in Kazakhstan, Omarav said his cousin wants printing for all the kids who need limbs in Kazakhstan. He sent a huge grant to pay for it. He says any money left over can go to other kids.”

  Sigrun’s jaw dropped, then she did a happy dance. Kathy danced with her. The other volunteers and students clapped. “Wow! Did you tell the folks at e-Nable?” e-Nable was the worldwide organization that matched people with 3D printers to kids who needed hands and fingers. Sigrun had added the bladed legs she was perfecting. Legs needed to be far more durable.

  Liam, one of their engineers from the university’s joint program with the college; ran up. “I’ve got a new blade leg design for kids. Plastic with metal, and the plastic is high-impact, and all the parts are replaceable. We’ll send replacement parts with each one that ships.”

  Sigrun looked at the leg, black and red wire, and a foot in a running shoe, put it on the ground and put her weight on it. “Print one for a kid and get feedback,” said Sigrun. “Free replacement for life.” She nodded. “Have to get email photos and measurements, more than for a hand,” said Sigrun. “If the kid has no legs or no legs below the knee, it’s easier to do, don’t have to mirror the other leg.” She nodded. “Try it both ways, one for a kid with no lower legs and guess at an appropriate shoe size, and one mirroring the other leg. Get it right.” She grinned. “Find out the kid’s favorite superhero, and use the correct plastic color to match.”

  “On it,” said Liam. Everyone nearby high-fived him.

  Sigrun fished out a case of cola from the refrigerator, walked around, looked at designs from eager coder/engineer/medical teams, and handed out high-fives, hugs, and colas. She sat down, took out her tablet and her projection keyboard that worked on any surface, a toy Wraith had given her, and did the work for her MRI imaging class and some coding.

  She said, “Great work! Later!” and headed out of the lab.

  She herded the cats at the mural, deep in the ABC streets of African-American and Hispanic songbirds, actors, and rap artists, keeping JayKill and QualiFyer on opposite ends, spray cans in hand. She wondered what would happen when the mural met in the middle, and decided to be there to prevent screaming and possible bloodshed. It wouldn’t do to get blood all over the mural. She handed out bottles of water and soda she’d scored at a convenience store, giving them to both the artists and watching children.

  She took cans out of her pack, and gloved, masked, and smocked up, and started work at the bottom in the middle, a huge portrait of Rita Moreno, mid-dance. Two boys came up, and Sigrun got smocks out for them, kid-sized gloves, and little bright orange kid masks, and taught them how to hold the spray cans, get an even spray, get control. JayKill took one of the boys and QualiFyer took the other, and Sigrun was super-glad she’d stocked up on smocks, mostly because she ended up with two little girls at her feet, learning to spray.

  She also blessed herself for her box lunch, which she used as a snack for herself and the kids, with grapes and strawberries and a yogurt dip, and cheese and crackers. At lunchtime, she told the kids to stay put and rode out, and came back with chicken, fries, and sodas, and mangoes from a local market. They all ate like wolves. Trina from the college showed up, and sh
e left Trina showing the girls shading and depth.

  She went home, exhausted, but high on life. She’d done some good that day. She couldn’t wait to tell her family. She grinned, and rode into the wind.

  Dog Rock

  Kieran took the interstate 60 to a little town called Matthie, while Kieran put on a podcast about the best books to read. They were on the road because a little girl with seizures and anxiety named Belden Rainier needed a dog. Although small amounts of hemp oil prevented the seizures, no one knew if they would come back or stop entirely. Seizure dogs would warn of an impending seizure so the person could get in a safe place or lie down, or lie on the person and lick them to help them recover, and help be a companion during the recovery. Anxiety dogs helped prevent anxiety, and to help the person interact with others. Trixie was a golden that could handle both disorders, and was, therefore, a very special dog.

  Kieran kept the speed down as Pavel looked up books on Amazon that interested him. Pavel’s English was improving every day, and the Kindle program on his cell phone had at least twenty books in English at any one time.

  They pulled off the highway and through the town, and the GPS got them right to Belden’s door. It was a small house with a dusty yard, but there were flowerboxes with purple cabbages in them, right in the windows. Kieran got out and held up his hand like a traffic cop. Belden stopped, and he beckoned her to stand back. Pavel walked around the back, opened the crate, and called Trixie down. Trixie came down and sat. Pavel attached the lead to her harness.

  Pavel walked Trixie over, and had her sit down right in front of Belden. Belden’s mother, Yuli, stood in the front door, her hand over her mouth, fighting tears.

  “Hold out your hand to sniff,” said Pavel. “She will know you by your scent, even in the dark.” Belden held out her hand, and Belden sniffed it, then kissed her hand. “Now pet her head,” said Pavel. Belden patted Trixie’s head. Trixie wagged her tail. Pavel released her, and Trixie went up and kissed Belden. Belden lowered herself a little, and Trixie licked her face.

  Kieran went into the back of the car, and took out the bag of treats, toys, and an extra harness and leash, two huge bags of kibble, and the crate. He walked it all up, and Yuli opened the door. He slid past her, and took two trips to get it all in the house.

  Kieran went back, and watched Belden hug Trixie, and laugh a bell-like laugh. Kieran put his arm around Pavel, and they both backed out and went to the car. They knew petting Trixie and saying goodbye would injure the bonding of dog and child. They headed out.

  “Picking up new ones on the way back,” said Kieran. He knew it wasn’t enough. It hurt. Every dog going to a new home hurt. But, they saved dogs, saved children. Saved lives.

  They got on the 93, and stopped in Golden Valley just outside of Kingman. A little boy named Azzam, rescued from a war, had cleft palate surgery rather late. So, he still spoke with a lisp, and his first language was Arabic. He had gone nearly silent due to embarrassment about his lisp, and faint scars, and from shock due to the war. Azzam needed a dog to read to, both in his native Arabic and in English and Spanish. Arabic people in general didn’t have dogs, but the mother’s imam explained that this was for medical purposes, and Allah would want Azzam to recover fully. The mother and boy had training about how to treat and care for a dog. The couple next door promised to help; they had a happy little Chihuahua they had adopted from a shelter themselves. The Bolivians told Pavel and Kieran that they would adopt the dog if the family showed signs of not being able to handle Mina.

  Azzam stood in the doorway of the duplex he shared with his mother and infant sister, and the Venezuelan couple with two little boys lived on the other side. The entire blended merge of families stood in the immaculate, desert-landscaped, front yard.

  Pavel went in back, and took out the entire crate. Kieran ran around back to get the two bags, one with toys and treats, the other with two bags of dog food. Kieran closed the door, and watched Pavel kneel, and let Mina, the spaniel, out of the crate. Mina walked up to Azzam, and sat down. Azzam knelt, and let her sniff his fingers, and petted her head. The dog sighed, and lay down on his foot. The little boy sat, and petted her.

  “Tell her about your day,” said the mother, her daughter in her arms. She repeated the same thing in Arabic. Mina licked Azzam’s fingers, and he started to speak in Arabic.

  Pavel stayed with the family, and Kieran pulled Nicolas and Daneila Correa aside. In rapid Spanish, he went over the care, feeding, and training of the dog. “This dog was donated by a very kind man,” he said. “This dog must be cared for so the boy can recover.”

  “We will watch, and our Daneila will watch.” Daneila was seven, and held the brown Chihuahua in her arms.

  They satisfied themselves that everything would be alright, then they drove back to Kingman to their favorite barbecue restaurant. “I can’t wait to see Katya,” said Pavel, after they ordered, got a buzzer, and sat down.

  “You just like her food.” Kieran grinned at Pavel.

  Pavel laughed. “She is a mothering person. She feeds me until I am ready to explode.” He made a booming motion with his hands.

  “What about Lily?” said Kieran.

  “She’s too busy running numbers,” said Pavel. “This woman does the work of ten people.”

  “Now she has a partner, and several assistants,” said Kieran. “And you’re right, but the Wolfpack makes great food, and Lily is a master at ordering takeout.”

  “Your brother grills,” said Pavel.

  “We men, we grill,” said Kieran. Pavel laughed.

  It wasn’t that far to Vegas. They went to Lily and Ace’s place, and parked at the house. Lily was in her office. She came out and hugged and kissed them, then went back in to work. The young men petted and played with Jake the pug, and Maude, the cutest terrier ever. April, Mimi, and gawky Jax came in from the park with Rose Ivy, Colin, and Dee. Jax took off to do deliveries, and everyone sat down and played on the floor with the kids.

  They got all the kids down for their naps, and Pavel and Kieran had April and Mimi do whatever they wanted, while they cleaned the house and did the chores.

  They took April and Mimi’s chore list. “We get paid for this!” argued April.

  “We can handle it, and you take the money,” said Kieran.

  “We will do it, and we will go out and get a nice dinner,” said Pavel. “Now, go.” Pavel kicked them out, and Kieran grabbed a broom and dustpan, and Pavel grabbed a duster.

  They went through, picking up, dusting, wiping things down, and putting things away. Kieran emptied the dishwasher, cleaned up the kitchen, and prepared a snack for when the little ones woke up. Pavel cleaned up the living room, then both of them did the floors. They finished the checklist, then Pavel stretched out the couch and Kieran relaxed in the lounger.

  Colin woke up, and let out a squall. Kieran ran up and grabbed him, the dogs following, and ran him into the kitchen. Colin stopped wailing and started giggling. Kieran put him in a high chair and fed him raisins, Cheerios, and cubed banana. The other two woke up, and Pavel did the same with the girls, chattering with them in Russian. He put them in their chairs, and fed them as well, teasing them and making them laugh.

  They cleaned up the kids; Colin had a tendency to mash bananas into his hair. Then, they took them out to play in the park, and took the dogs with them. They threw balls to the dogs, threw soft Frisbees with the kids, and Pavel showed the little ones how to kick a miniature soccer ball. The young men did their best to wear them out; kids and dogs alike, then they took the kids and canines home.

  Lily came out of her office. “What did you guys eat for lunch?” she asked. The babies told her, and she laughed. “I was there for that part! What did you guys have, Kieran and Pavel?”

  “Barbecue,” said Pavel.

  “Good,” said Lily. “Pack up the car. We’re all going to Aunt Katya’s for dinner!”

  “Yay!” said Rose Ivy. Kieran kissed her, and she hugged him fiercely. “Love
oo, unca Ki-ran,” she said.

  “I love you too, Rose Ivy,” he said. They packed up the minivan, and they all went to Katya’s.

  Katya hugged Kieran first, then she grabbed Pavel in an embrace and started speaking to him in rapid Russian. “What’s she saying?” Kieran asked Luka.

  “Too fast,” said Luka.

  “Way too fast,” said Ivan. They grabbed Colin’s hand, and rushed off with him into the playroom. Dee and Rose Ivy walked to the corner of the living room, and sat down. There were books and toys there, and they debated the merits of books versus toys.

  Callie came over with Aiden and Kiya, and Kiya went to play with the boys, and Aiden with the girls. Aiden helped the girls construct a wizard’s house at the little Lego table in the corner. Pavel helped in the kitchen, the Russian language and gestures flying at twice the speed of light. Kieran went to be sure the campaign in the playroom was conducted with toy soldiers, a train, numerous vehicles, and superheros, and that it didn’t result in any actual loss of blood. Mimi and April pushed tables together, set the table, and were chased out of the kitchen. Callie and Lily hugged, and began a long chat about the kids.

  Gregory came in, and was attacked by boys, and cars and trains. He gravely asked permission to get out of his business suit first, and the boys allowed him to change. He came down in jeans and a soft red shirt, and joined the increasingly dangerous superhero campaign.

  Kat, Jaime, and Sarah showed up. Sarah was soon in discussions with Mimi and April about how to make money after school and on weekends. Mimi suggested Sigrun’s 3D printing project to complete a coding, design, or engineering class, and April quizzed her closely about her interest in hydroponics, horses, jewelry, making dog boxes, Harleys, childrearing, cleaning houses, and preparing food. Kat went to the kitchen and began learning how to make Russian dishes, and Jaime sat his exhausted self down on the couch. Pavel came around with sodas, flavored waters, and colas. The kids got sealed sippy cups from another tray with juice.